Injury Clinic

Orthopedic Minute — Total Knee Replacements

Transcript:

Time for another Orthopedic Minute presented by Washington University Physicians.

Hello, my name is Dr. Robert Barrack with Washington University Orthopedics. When I see patients at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, they often complain of knee pain. X-rays are obtained to determine if arthritis is present which is the most common cause of persistent pain and disability in the knee.

On this x-ray, you can see the expected thickness of cartilage while on this x-ray, you can see there is almost no space between the bones meaning advanced arthritis is present. There's a full spectrum of treatments available including therapy, medications and occasionally, injections. When disabling pain persists, the surface of the joint can be replaced in a procedure called total knee replacement. This x-ray shows the damaged cartilage being replaced by a high-tech metal and plastic joint that replicates the size and shape of your knee.

The good news is that total knee replacement is highly effective in relieving pain and returning patients to a normal active lifestyle.